Aligning tick marks and labels on line charts or scatter charts

  • Thread starter Thread starter AdamK
  • Start date Start date
A

AdamK

I have the following data:
X Y
1 0.2
2 0.8
3 0.5
4 0.7

I would like to plot it using a line chart or a scatter chart with X
on the horizontal axis and Y on the vertical. I would like the X range
of the graph to go from 0.5 to 4.5, so that the first and last point
are NOT on the extreme edges of the graph. I would like the X axis to
be labelled only at 1, 2, 3 and 4. I would like a tick mark aligned
with each of these labels. Is this possible in Excel?

Here is what I am finding...
Using a Line chart:
Option 1. The range is correct (0.5 to 4.5), and the labels are
correct, but the tick marks appear between the labels instead of
aligned with the labels.
Option 2. I can select "Position Axis: On tick marks", and then the
tick marks are aligned with the labels, but the range only goes from 1
to 4, so my first and last points are on the edges of the graph.

Using a Scatter chart:
Option 1. Set the range to 0.5 to 4.5. The range is correct but the
labels and tick marks are at 1.5, 2.5, etc...
Option 2. Set the range to 1 to 4. The labels and tick marks are
correct, but the range is wrong and my first and last points are on
the edges of the graph.
Option 3. Set the range to 0 to 5. The range is ok (a bit wide but at
least the points are not hanging on the edges) but now I get
superflous labels and tick marks at 0 and 6.

Help!

To reiterate: I want the range to go from 0.5 to 4.5, and I want a
tick mark and label at 1, 2, 3, and 4.
 
AdamK,
This is what I came up with, see if it is to your liking:
Column A Column B
CellA1 "X" Cell B1 "Y"
Cell A2 "1" Cell B2 "0.2"
Cell A3 "2" Cell B3 "0.8"
Cell A4 "3" Cell B4 "0.5"
Cell A5 "4" Cell B5 "0.9"

I then selected(by highlighting) A2 through B5.
Select Graph wizard, select scatter plot, select next, select next, select
"As object in:" and select finish.
Select the x-axis, select "Format axis".
Select the"Scale" tab, and input the following data:
Minimum: 0.5
Maximum: 4.5
Major unit: 0.5
Minor unit: 0.5
Value (Y) axis Crosses at: 0.5 (this should be the only box checked).

hth
Dennis
 
Thanks for the help Dennis. Unfortunately I'm still not successful.

I realize now that I should have specified that I am using Excel 2007.
As far as I can tell, Excel 2007 doesn't have the Graph wizard
anymore, so I suspect you may be using a different version.

When I created a graph in Excel 2007 with the equivalent settings as
you described, I get the correct range (0.5 to 4.5) but I get a label
and a tick mark at every half number: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4,
4.5. I want the labels and tick marks to only be at the whole numbers:
1, 2, 3, 4.

The sticking point seems to be that in Excel 2007 I can't figure out
how to have the range start at 0.5, but have the labels start at 1.

adamk
 
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